Always
by Inspire-Smiles
Summary: A post-ep for Urban Hellraisers. "Calleigh has had a difficult day, Ryan, aggravating her is not in your best interests."


Urban Hellraisers

Always

**A/N Hey people! Here is a post-eppie that has been stirring in my mind for a while. I also want to thank EVERYBODY who reviewed Takedown or my other stories. Special thanks to my LUVERLY beta MissyKrissyKristini…I Luv Ya ) !!**

Spoilers: Urban Hellraisers

Pairing: Eric/Calleigh, Ryan/Valera

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…huff I wish…

**Nov. 27, 2006 **

**6:00 PM**

She leaned against the cool metal and stared up at the drab pale yellow ceiling. She slid down the locker, the sharp contours of the lock carving a jagged path into the small of her back. She crumpled on the floor at the foot of her locker; worries, exhaustion, pain, anger falling to the floor with her, but resurfacing again like a floating bar of emotions, unwilling to sink in defeat without being dealt with.

Sighing, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on her arms that were covering her knees.

**Nov. 27, 2006**

**7:30 PM**

Ryan sauntered into the locker room with Valera by the hand. He kissed her swiftly on the lips before proudly asking his girlfriend, "You want to know something?"

"Do I have a choice? You usually end up telling me anyway."

"You know that Fed? The Elliot guy? Calleigh and he are dating. Can you believe it? A Fed! Who would want to date him? Actually, I think she has bad taste in men. First Hagen, now Elliott and her are dating… "

"Were. Were dating," Calleigh said with fire in her eyes. During their insightful little chat, she had uncurled herself and stood up.

Ryan tore his eyes from Valera and whipped around to face the furious woman. He took one glance at her blazing green orbs and gulped.

"Valera, could you give us a minute?" Calleigh asked barely restraining her rage.

Valera quickly made her way to the door, sending one last sympathetic look to her boyfriend before exiting the room.

"So Ryan, talk about everyone behind their backs or am I just special?

"Ummmmm…," Ryan mumbled.

"Ryan, what goes on in my personal life is none of your business! It's my life! I'm going to live it how I want to! And I have bad taste in men? I suppose you know the perfect man for me? If you have something to say to me, say it to my face, Ryan! You know what? I think I'm beginning to understand why Eric dislikes you so much!" Calleigh hissed dangerously, hands gesturing madly and her blonde locks flying wildly in the still air with the shaking of her head.

Ryan began to become defensive. "Hey…wait a minute, Calleigh. You and Eric don't talk about me behind my back? It's not the same thing?" he demanded.

"Ryan, you are probably the least important thing in the WORLD to me and Eric. Why would we waste our time talking about you, when we could be chatting about more important things like dish towels or cutlery sets?" Calleigh retorted coldly. She was being harsh but her exhaustion and emotions were beginning to overpower the rational side of her brain.

Waiting outside, a distraught Valera called the only people who could knock some sense into the two CSIs. Eric Delko and Horatio Caine.

Meanwhile, the argument, well…more Ryan-bashing than anything, continued on. Insult after insult, retort for retort, woman against man, anger with defense. And as the insults got worse, the voice got louder, the frustration heightened and the anger peaked.

"Well, you haven't exactly had the best track record, have you? Hagen shot himself in front of you and you're telling me Elliott is engaged," Ryan sneered, "and I heard you and the world famous Tim Speedle were together too. It's funny though. Calleigh Duquesne the ballistics experts couldn't save her own boyfriend from a gunshot. Why? You practically killed him yourself. Oh the precious Tim Speedle died because his girlfriend didn't care enough to check if his gun was clean. And Hagen, what, you drove him to commit suicide because you wouldn't give him the time of day? Look at that. Of the two men you dated at the lab, they're both dead. Seems like Calleigh's boyfriends come to sticky ends. What is it? A Duquesne cruse? Date and die? Hey! It's a package deal!" Ryan roared.

The room went pin drop silent. Not a breath, a shuffle, a scurry, a movement. Nothing until Calleigh took a step forward. A resounding slap echoed and Eric and Horatio stepped out of the shadows of the room, waiting uncertainly, ready to react.

"You bastard. Don't. You. Dare. Drag Tim into this," Calleigh seethed and she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and threw him against the wall. She slapped him again with the back of her hand before Eric dashed out.

Eric grabbed her arms gently, pulled her away from Ryan and towards himself, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace/.

Horatio cleared his throat and all three pairs of eyes were immediately on the Lieutenant.

"What…is going on?" Horatio asked. "Eric got a page from Valera saying you two were fighting."

"Ummmm…well…" Ryan mumbled before sighing. "How much did you hear?"

"The last 2 minutes. What we heard, Mr. Wolfe, was enough to know that what you said to Calleigh was uncalled for. Just because you are the newest member of the team doesn't mean you are exempt from punishment. You are suspended for two days without pay," Horatio ordered.

"Calleigh, I will deal with you later," he decided in a more gentle tone, "Eric…"

The younger man nodded before glaring at his colleague, "Get out now!" Ryan stormed out, Horatio following behind him and suddenly it was just Calleigh and Eric left.

Eric walked over to a bench with Calleigh who was still nestled in his warm embrace. He sat her down before kneeling and meeting her at eye level. He lifted her chin with two fingers and looked into her emerald eyes.

"Querida…" he murmured gently.

"Eric," Calleigh whispered, broken.

"I…I…Ryan…Speedle," she rambled, jade eyes filling with newfound tears.

"Shhhhh…," he soothed.

"But I hit him…"

"Hey…hey…Querida. Yes, you hit him but he provoked you. It's not your fault. Don't do this to yourself honey," Eric admonished softly.

Then it was as if something had snapped inside her. Her face lost emotion, vulnerability vanished from her eyes. The thin thread of desperate need for lover care and compassion suddenly broke, as if cut by a pair of razor sharp scissors of isolation, reminding her of her independence.

"Do what? I'm fine," Calleigh responded robotically.

Eric's eyebrows rose and surprise crossed his handsome features at her startling change in demeanor. But only for a second. Eric knew this predicament all too well. She was blocking him out, rebuilding those treacherous walls, the walls keeping her so terribly guarded. In fact, what Eric found more surprising was her momentary lapse of control.

"Well, let's get you home then," Eric reasoned.

"Eric, I'm fine," Calleigh repeated.

"Just following H's orders, Cal. He told me to take you home."

"I'm fine! I can take myself home!" Calleigh snapped indignantly.

Eric winced momentarily at her harsh tone of voice, but immediately returned to his previous objective. Attacking the walls she built so carefully. So carefully, yet still, cracks threatened to spill the precious secrets of her heart. While most may be covered some secrets shine through only to be extinguished, as she tried to cover another break in the dike, with a piece of gum.

"Calleigh Duquesne! Get yourself in the car," Eric ordered kindly.

"Fine."

Well, that was one battle won, one problem solved.

**!! Calleigh's House !!**

"Okay, I'm at home. Happy now?" Calleigh asked sarcastically.

"No, Cal, I'm not," he told her honestly.

He needed her to feel something, anything. That was the way in. While her face, her tone her voice told otherwise, her eyes betrayed, feelings clear to Eric. She was hurt, angry, ashamed. He had to strike while the emotional stew was still brewing, still boiling.

There were three sides, similar to the Sweet Chili Heat Doritos. Rage, hurt and embarrassment. Emotions that would be his ticket in. She needed a breakdown, a catharsis, and he would be the catalyst.

Eric chose rage. To get her anger may cause to blurt out something. On the other hand, she could kick him out and be angry at him for the rest of the week, but he decided to take his chances.

"Happy, Calleigh? I'm still wondering why the hell you would get into something likes this," Eric retorted.

Breaking Calleigh was an art. A complex skill few have mastered. You push too hard, she will retreat back into her protective shell. You leave her alone and she will bottle until she explodes, far more catastrophic than a major catharsis.

"You hit him! Why on Earth would you do that! And twice! For no reason," Eric reprimanded. This was his chance to get her to unintentionally open up to him.

It was Calleigh's turn to be shocked. She would've expected Eric, of all people, to take her side.

"Well Eric, you weren't there for all of it. You don't know what he said earlier," Calleigh replied coldly.

By this time the pair had settled themselves on the couch. Eric had been unsuccessful in his first attempt, but he was a determined (**and gorgeous D ) **guy.

"I'm just surprised at you, Calleigh. I never expected to hit him just like that, without provocation," Eric said pointedly.

"What do you want from me, Eric? If you're here just to yell at me then you can show yourself out," Calleigh informed him tiredly.

Eric did a mental victory dance, but the battle was not nearly complete.

"I want you to tell me what happened," Eric spoke gently, moving closer to Calleigh on the couch.

"You're not going to hear anything from me! Talk to your buddy Ryan."

Everything with Calleigh was one step forward and two steps back.

"What is it with you? What don't you get? I'm trying to help you! Obviously, you don't want it. And I'm going to have to take Ryan's side on this because you wont even give me the time of day!" Eric shouted.

Calleigh was silent for a few seconds and Eric began to worry that he pushed too hard.

"He was talking about me, okay? With Valera! They weren't compliments either! About me and Peter, Hagen and Speed. About how I don't have good taste in men! And how two of the guys I've been with are dead!" Calleigh yelled.

Eric sighed in relief, this was going well.

"And then he said that it was my fault that Tim was dead," Calleigh murmured, choking back a sob, "that…that I practically killed him myself."

"Oh, Calleigh," he consoled tenderly, closing the distance between them and pulling her into his arms.

"He said that I drove Hagen to commit suicide, because I wouldn't 'give him the time of day'," Calleigh continued, then tearfully and frantically added, "It wasn't like that! I swear! He came to the ballistics lab and I told him we would get a cup of coffee with him and then he shot himself…"

Eric rubbed her back soothingly and tightened his arms around her, as she curled up and cried against him on the sofa.

"Calleigh, Hagen killing himself wasn't your fault. Querida, you know he was depressed. It had nothing to do with you. And Speed, Cal, you know there was nothing you could do! He chose not to clean his gun…You begged him to maintain it properly and he didn't listen," Eric comforted.

"If I had only checked…It would've taken 30 seconds…He might still be here," she wept.

They stayed like that for a while until Calleigh's silent crying had ceased.

A small smile crossed Calleigh's face. "You did it again."

"Did what?"

"Tricked me into opening up," Calleigh said softly.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" Eric asked.

"Tricking me into opening up," Calleigh spoke, quietly laughing.

Eric laughed along with her. "You needed to talk about it."

"Calleigh, if you don't mind me asking, what happened with Elliott?"

"He was engaged," Calleigh said shortly.

"He wasn't good enough for you anyway," Eric told her, while his hands clenched into fists in anger.

"I waited for him in the hospital when Monica West comes up to me and tells me she is his fiancée. Then he told me that's why he was taking me out for drinks, to tell me he was engaged," Calleigh said bitterly, "apparently, Hagen told him to back off, that he was going to take the next step. John bought a ring, after it was over. For what, I don't know…"

An awkward silence ensued after this rant.

"Eric."

"Calleigh," he said at the same time.

"Calleigh, I…you…I have feelings for you," Eric murmured softly.

Calleigh did a momentary double-take before realization dawned and her green eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, my timing sucks. I'll go now," he mumbled quickly, but as he spoke her small hand caught his wrist.

"Don't. Don't go. Don't be like them. I do too. Like you, I mean. Just, now I'm just not ready," Calleigh whispered tenderly.

"I really should go though, we have an early shift tomorrow."

"Yeah," Calleigh sighed.

Eric kissed her head and headed for the oak door. When his hand reached the metal knob, her voice called out to him.

"Wait for me?"

"Always."

**A/N You like it? Review please! Make my day? D**


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